Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he ‘preferred’ Brit’s choice to affix Ferrari as he averted robust second

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he “likes” that Lewis Hamilton selected to depart the workforce to affix Ferrari because it prevented him from having to do away with the seven-time world champion at a later date.

Hamilton surprised the sporting world on the eve of the 2024 season by confirming it could be his final with Mercedes as he signed a multi-year deal to affix the long-lasting Italian squad.

Wolff admitted on the time that he had been blindsided by the transfer – which is able to carry to an finish essentially the most profitable driver-team partnership within the sport’s historical past – however says considerations over Hamilton’s “shelf life” meant the prospect of getting to power the Briton out of the workforce was already on his thoughts.

With simply three races remaining of Hamilton’s twelfth and ultimate season with the workforce, Wolff’s feedback have been reported in Mercedes’ new all-access guide Inside Mercedes F1: Life within the Quick Lane, which adopted the workforce via their turbulent 2023 marketing campaign and the beginning of 2024.

“I absolutely had it on my radar that Lewis would go,” Wolff informed the guide’s creator Matt Whyman.

“I simply could not perceive why he’d change to a different workforce earlier than we knew if we had been going to be aggressive.

“It additionally did not give me any time to react, I needed to emergency name our companions, and I presumably missed out on negotiating with different drivers who had signed contracts a couple of weeks earlier like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

“[But] I like the situation. It helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop.”

Hamilton’s choice caught many unexpectedly given it got here simply 5 months after he had signed what was publicised as a two-year contract extension with Mercedes, which was later revealed to have had a break clause following the primary yr.

Wolff stated the actual fact there was a break clause open to each driver and workforce reveals Mercedes had been already open to the concept of Hamilton’s exit coming sooner fairly than later.

“There’s a reason why we only signed a one-plus-one-year contract,” Wolff added.

“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life.”

Wolff initially made a public and protracted pursuit of Purple Bull’s soon-to-be-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen, however ultimately settled for changing Hamilton with Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The Austrian in contrast the duty of changing Hamilton to these Premier League greats Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola have confronted when regenerating their title-winning squads.

“I need to look at the next generation,” Wolff stated.

“It’s the same in football. Managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola. They anticipated it in the performance of their top stars and brought in junior players that drove the team for the next years.”

The discharge of the guide comes simply days after Mercedes insisted they totally anticipate Hamilton to see out his ultimate three races with the workforce, after cryptic radio messages following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix led to hypothesis over a doable early exit.

Hamilton has struggled along with his type because the sport’s summer time break, failing to say a podium within the final seven rounds after a run of two wins in three races in July.

Components 1 returns with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22-24, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1 the place Max Verstappen may seal the championship. Get Sky Sports activities F1 to look at each race and extra dwell